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How To Find Your Own Personal Style | Personal Style Questions

When I say the words personal style what do you think of? Clothing and accessories? Looking put together? Or do you think of you and your own unique identity?

I asked a friend of mine to weigh in on the subject:

I think of personal style as the way somebody’s personality comes through their clothing, hair and accessory choices, ideally. I think people often don’t have or think about personal style because they just wear whatever shows up at the stores. Sometimes people gravitate towards specific items, but overall I don’t think people consider PERSONAL style as much as what’s in fashion or stylish.

Well said, Sarah!

As a personal stylist, you might imagine that I have it all figured out, that I love the way I look everyday or that I’m obsessed with physical appearance. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I do my best to look put together as I’m rushing out the door. Sometimes I nail it, sometimes I don’t.

Although I don’t struggle nearly as much as I did in the past, I do still face the same issues we all do. Finding the right fit for my body as I lose or gain weight, finding a good deal on clothes that won’t fall apart as soon as I wash them, and finding comfortable clothes that don’t make me look like I’m too comfortable if you know what I mean.

The point is that I’m always refining what didn’t work; trying new things that I think would make my life both more beautiful and less complicated. I never give up on the art that I want to create even if it is a struggle sometimes.

Personal style is just that…it’s personal. It’s totally unique to who you are, what you like, what you dislike, what you need, who you dream of becoming. Personal style is something that works for you and may not work for everyone else. It’s something that remains true to who you are whether you’re in-between careers, babies, or are finding a new groove in life.

If you struggle to dress your body in a way that makes you feel confident and empowered and are tired of hating how you look, then figuring out your personal style will radically change the way you feel about yourself and the way you approach dressing. Once you have a beat on what it is that you truly like, you can create your Style Manifesto.

Style Manifesto

Your Style Manifesto is a document that I created to help you get super clear on what it is that you really want and need when it comes to style. In it, you’re asked a series of questions that when answered, paint a picture that defines your personal style.

From there you can easily walk away from purchases you’re not 100% on, you can get rid of things that don’t serve you, and you can work on embracing and collecting the items that will fill in the gaps of your wardrobe so that you never have to think about it again.

You have a lot on your plate (work, kids, doggies, your passions, taking over the world, etc..) and worrying about what to wear is robbing you of time, energy, and joy which you could be devoting to your priorities. I want you to have the freedom to be who you are, look amazing, and feel comfortable in your skin and clothing all at the same time.

Questions to ask yourself

The first step to finding your personal style is loving who you are and accepting yourself…being able to feel comfortable in your own skin, embracing what you love and feeling free to discard what you don’t.

If you can’t accept yourself now, then you might find yourself in a constant tug of war between what you’d like to look like and what you look like now. The grass is always greener and if you do ever attain that ideal thing, you probably won’t appreciate it.

When thinking about your style what are your non-negotiables? Do you have rules you consciously follow? These questions are designed to help draw out your deeply held convictions about clothing.

What season of life are you in? What do you need most out of your wardrobe?

Are you a skirt, pant, jeans, dress, or shorts kind of gal?

Do you shop for the body you have now or are you stuck in the future or past? Describe what you know looks best on your body now. No judgment!!

What colors do you gravitate towards? Thinking about your closet, what colors do you avoid? Why? Would you change something?

What time period resonates with you most? Choose two or three if you need to.

What country, state, or region resonates with you most?

Style Icons & brands you love

Sometimes it helps to broaden your horizons when you’re trying to get ideas about what looks might work for you. That why I’m a huge fan of admiring what lights you up when you see it in others.

Who in your world evokes all that you admire? It’s said that what you admire in others already lies within you.

Who are these people for you? Living or dead, fictional or nonfictional, old or young, man or woman, famous, infamous, or nonfamous? I myself love Bob Dylan, Jane Birkin (of course), and the lovely Kari Russell. She is a mom who is crushing it when it comes to authentic, artful, and comfortable style for working moms.

Another great way to further refine what your unique personal style is to point out what brands are really doing it for you.

What brands most represent you regardless of their sustainability? These could be brands that you already own or brands that you dream of owning? List these to get clear about what really speaks to you.

In Conclusion

You deserve to have a style that makes you feel amazing, and that represents who you are as a person.

If getting dressed is a battle then it may be that you’re not clear on what your personal style really is. Once you figure that out by asking yourself some pointed questions, you can finally create your own Style Manifesto.

Look to other people who are your clothing soul-mates, study brands that are really doing it right in your opinion, and create some structure around what you need to make your clothing work for you, who you are, and what season of life you’re in.

When you do this, you’ll feel 1000% more confident about your body, and you’ll open up to new possibilities that you might not have expected. Dressing will no longer be a time-wasting chore or a zero fun bore (#sorrynotsorryforrhyming).

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If you have found this helpful, please share it with a friend who needs to hear this. I’d love to know what your definition of personal style is. Do you struggle to find your own unique personal style?

If you would like one-on-one expert advice from me, then I’d love to have you in my upcoming Style Course. It’s a video course I’m creating that is all about teaching you how to feel amazing in your skin and clothing, how to dress for you, and how to create a series of looks from the clothing you already own so that you can love your style and feel confident.

This course is version 1.0 so I’m looking for women who would love to be in a group setting figuring out their style, helping support other amazing women doing the same, and who are great at giving feedback. I’d love to have you if you are interested. Contact me now to get more info.